House of Mages: Mage's Lament
by Diaphanous
Summary: This was it. The finale to this conflict with Vayne and the Archadian Empire has come at last. Harry struggles against the hunger of the Nethicite; the stone's eagerness to eat him whole was disconcerting. And in the end, he would be lost once more.


**House of Mages****: Mage's Lament**

_AN:_ Fourth one-shot in my House of Mages series! And the last one… maybe. *evil cackle*

Disclaimer: I don't own them. Never have, never will. :iz sad:

_WARNINGS_: Not HBP/DH compliant, definitely EWE (Epilogue? What epilogue?), During Game (AU in places obviously), gratuitous timeline-skipping, language, violence, blood, angst, het, slash allusions_,_ etc. Also, this had no discernable plot other than the fact that Harry's gone and done it again. Thrice-damned Potter luck right there.

_**00000**_

PART ONE: _Incoming Dusk_

The Occuria were assholes, Harry decided as their group rested deep in the Pharos on the Ridorana Cataract. The heavy Mist swirling about left a dark tang upon his taste buds. His natural, inborn wizard-magic clamored in rejection of the Nethicite on the floor still so far above them. His power hissed angrily beneath his skin and felt like a thousand wriggling worms were swimming in his blood. Harry pressed a shaking hand against his chest right above his heart. Thankfully Fran was distracted from him by healing an injured Penelo with Balthier aiding her.

It hurt to breathe.

"Are you ill?" Ashe asked as she scuttled over to him. Harry looked up at her in surprise. How strange that she would inquire about his health when he had made it abundantly clear that he felt no affection for her. "You do not look well."

"The Nethicite," Harry rasped. "We're getting closer." He did a full body shiver. "It wants to eat me…"

Ashe's eyes widened. "What?" Her brows furrowed down.

"My magicks feel like they're trying to crawl out of my skin to fly up to the Sun Cryst."

"Oh…"

Harry eyed her and tried so smile, knowing it looked more like a grimace. "Don't worry, once we get going, I'll still be able to fight." He dragged himself to his feet. His hand was still pressing against where his heart was located beneath flesh and bone. In his other hand, his Pole was gripped by white knuckles. "Go on, lead the way." The wizard poked her in the side, earning a scowl.

"You're not allowed to die," Ashe hissed at him. She flounced off to the front of their group.

Harry Potter smiled for real in amusement.

000

Harry gasped and fell to his knees. Through watering eyes, he watched at the Sun Cryst shone brighter, sucking away at the power in his wizard-core while expelling Mist out in coiling waves of shimmering clouds. He could only cough as Fran fell down next to him. His vision swam and roiled. He watched through a haze of pain as Balthier scooped the Viera up. He didn't feel Basch hoisting his unresponsive body over the swordsman's shoulder. The brunet wizard just clutched at his heart and shook in agony.

Whispers from a thousand voices burst in Harry's ears.

_Occuria._

_Occuria._

_They have been denied by Raithwall's heir._

_History shall be back in the hands of man save for one obstacle._

_Destroy the false one._

_Destroy Venat…_

Viridian eyes rolled back and Harry fainted as their group leapt out of the Pharos.

Reddas had destroyed the Sun Cryst at the cost of his own life, allowing for their escape.

000

Groaning, Harry Potter finally rejoined the world of wakefulness. Paper-thin eyelids fluttered up to reveal irises that were the same color as the Killing Curse. Gentle sunlight shone into the room from a window to the wizard's left. He sat up, swallowing the bile that came up from the movement. The wizard gazed around the mostly empty room in consternation. Where?

The door opened and Penelo bounced into the room. She gasped and ran up to his bed, throwing her torso across his lap. "You're awake! I'm so glad, Hadrian," she said as quietly as her excitement would allow. "We were so worried! Even Fran woke up before you did." The dancing girl scrambled back up. "I'll go get the others! Be right back, k?" The blonde girl scampered out of the room, hollering for the members of their party.

Fran was the first to enter after Penelo's bellows died down. "My Harry, awakened at last," she said. Beneath her casual tone was an underlying relief. She sat down on the bed beside him and pressed her nose at the junction of his neck and shoulder. "I was frightened." Her words were muffled and only understandable to Harry. The Viera snuggled closer as Harry wrapped an arm around her slightly shaking shoulders.

The others crowded around the bed with Balthier in the front. The look of profound relief on the younger pirate's face was telling. Harry sighed and gestured for Balthier to sit on the other side of him. When the debonair man sat, the wizard gently intertwined their fingers. The blond pirate bowed his head to stare at the laced fingers. Hazel eyes then looked up in wonder at the older man. "A yes, then?" Balthier murmured.

"We tired of telling you 'no' once more," Fran answered softly, aware of the surprised gazes directed their way. She reached out to cover the two men's hands. The trio smiled at one another and then as one looked at the other four still in the room.

"Now then," Harry spoke in a clear, strong voice. "Update me."

000

PART TWO: _Final Curtain_

Harry pushed as much of his healing magick into Gabranth as he could without injury to himself. The wizard then gently removed the Judge's helm to gaze upon the visage that was nearly the exact replica of Basch's. Eyes hazed over in pain stared up at him.

"Why?" Gabranth rasped.

"Because even a cur deserves a bone thrown his way," Harry answered. He stood up and dug out an Elixir to drink. He grimaced from the taste. "So you'll live even if you take another beating. Besides which, your master still needs you alive."

"If you speak of Vayne…" A snarl twisted the Judge Magister's face but it faded when the brunet shook his head in a negative.

"Larsa is of whom I speak." The wizard-mage glanced over his shoulder to make sure the others were preoccupied with healing one another. "Besides, Basch would be upset if I let you die, sinned against us or not," he said coolly. "Fight for Larsa or don't, it doesn't matter to me either way." Viridian orbs narrowed in warning. "But get in our way and I'll cut you down myself." A dark promise echoed in those words. Then he smiled, startling the armored man at the abrupt change. "Damned long elevator ride, though."

"Damned big fortress," Gabranth managed to wheeze out. "I must rest, if only for a few moments. I… thank you, sky-pirate."

"It's Hadrian."

The Judge's eyes popped open and he peered harder at the standing man. He blinked in an effort to clear his vision. "You are Hadrian the Viridian, engineer of the more modern glossair engines used by the Empire before Cid…" he said in surprise, tiredness slurring his words.

"Yes, before Cid poked his nose in and made Manufacted Nethicite sky-stone," Harry said. "I patented those designs; everyone else just pays for the privilege of using them." A wry smile twisted his lips. "At least I'm somewhat famous for something I actually did."

"And you're a sky-pirate."

"Meh, I got bored."

Gabranth let out a coughing laugh.

000

Harry sighed and knelt down by the Judge's side once more, this time with an unconscious Larsa leaning heavily against his side. Wrapping one arm around the boy's shoulders, the wizard reached out with his free hand to lay it upon Gabranth's brow. He quickly split his healing magicks between the two. He paid no mind to the others charging out after Vayne. Fran briefly brushed her hand against the back of his neck and he absently nodded at her.

"I… have a good master," Gabranth choked out. "Will he be alright?"

"Yes, he's just tired," Harry answered softly. His hand slipped away and the Judge Magister struggled to sit up. "Take him to the Strahl and rest there." He handed over the young Imperial prince. "She's at landing bay twenty-two." They stared at one another for a moment. Harry smiled sadly. "He'll make a good emperor but stay by his side. He needs you."

"Aye." The armored man stood, cradling Larsa. "Come back alive, Hadrian the Viridian."

Harry smiled again but did not promise anything.

000

Harry dove out of the way of another blast of Holy, panting. Second degree burns decorated his bare forearms. All hope seemed lost. Fran was trying to revive Balthier while keeping an eye out for an attack against them. Penelo was casting as fast as she could, choking down Elixirs without sicking up. Basch and Vaan tried to draw attention away from her using the Decoy spell upon themselves. But the Venat infused Vayne was strong, so damned strong. Again whispers flowed into his ears.

_You know what you must do._

_Take hold of Venat._

_Take him, wizard._

_Triumph or death._

Gritting his teeth, Harry Potter reached out through the arm, his fingers crooked like claws. His wizard-core flowed out into his limbs. No one was paying attention to him for the moment and he spared a grateful thought when the Viera finally managed to revive their debonair leader. He exhaled and concentrated. His vision went white for a moment and then everything rushed back into his gaze except in black and white. And then he pinpointed where Venat and Vayne were fused into the Undying. His magic formed a sword and cut through that connection.

The Undying let out a horrific shriek of agony and halted, writhing in mid-air. The others of the group did not hesitate and charged for the final blow. In an explosion of blades and magick, the monstrosity that had been Vayne and Venat died. Pieces of metal that had been inserted into their body as wings fell around them. Harry knelt there and slowly withdrew his wizard-core back into his body, his vision returning to normal. Everyone else stood around savoring the victory as the wizard stood on shaking legs. Then reality was brought back by the sounds from the aerial battle still going on beyond the platform.

Time to leave.

000

"We're going back over there, aren't we?" Harry asked as he, Balthier, and Fran entered the Strahl's engine room. Nono squeaked and waved them over. "Well?"

"Yes, as soon as you tweak the engines here, Hadrian," Balthier answered. The blond sky-pirate watched as his male partner quickly readjusted the power outputs and then solemnly shook the Moogle's little paw. He blinked in surprise at the gesture between the wizard and Nono. "Ready?"

"Yes. Fran?"

The Viera cocked her head to the side. "Am I not always ready?" she asked sarcastically.

Harry grinned and led the way back onto Bahamut, heading straight for the sky-fortress' own engine room. His two partners did not notice him fiddling with two rings, infusing the gold with wizard magic…

000

PART THREE: _Gone Again_

Metal was raining down in the engine room. Alarms blared and wailed. Bodies of dead engineers, those who had not been able to flee the fortress, littered the floor. Harry dug through their pockets and pouches for tools. He tossed a wrench over his shoulder for Fran to catch. He then hurried up from his crouch, a glossair calibrator apparatus in one hand and a flat-head screwdriver in the other. The wizard passed the screwdriver to Balthier, wordlessly directing him to one of the auxiliaries. The trio set to work as the fortress fell around them. And then Judge Zargabaath was speaking of ramming Bahamut away from Rabanastre's paling with order to open fire.

But Harry wasn't paying attention to Balthier nixing the plan and his meaningless flirting banter with the princess. The fortress rumbled and Harry's heart nearly stopped when he saw a piece of debris pin Fran to the floor. "Fuck!" the wizard snarled. He tossed his apparatus to the pale-faced blond. He then violently reached out with his wizard-magic and levitated the metal, using his senses to detect any injury to his Viera life's partner. He summoned the barely conscious female to him and pushed her into Balthier's arms. "Go, keep her safe! I'll finish this!"

"WHAT? NO!" Balthier looked panicked, clutching Fran to him. The Viera's crimson eyes stared horrified at the wizard.

Harry smiled grimly. "You don't have a choice. Besides, you're the leading man," he said. With a snap of his fingers, a pair of golden rings appeared on Balthier and Fran's right ring fingers. "A reminder of love, from me to you two. PORTUS!"

Fran wailed her grief as she and Balthier disappeared from Bahamut's engine room back into the Strahl.

000

Harry's face was grim as he put in the last barely powered stone into place. The glossair engines roared one last time and the rings glowed to life. From a terminal the wizard guided the whole fortress into the middle of the Dalmascan desert. He stood there, his arms handing down at his sides as all functions then ceased. The fortress began its doomed descent. He tilted his head back and sighed. Mist swirled around him, faster and faster.

The wizard glowed a sickly yellow; it was the exact same color the stone arch had glowed with that day so long ago on Earth in the Death Chamber. Whispers sounded in an incomprehensible and cacophonous roar. The engine room exploded just as he disappeared.

The sky-fortress Bahamut crashed into the sand.

On the Strahl, Fran and Balthier clung to one another, silent tears rolling down their faces. Their matching gold rings on their right hands glinted in the light.

000

The sound of waves and the crying of gulls woke him. Harry Potter opened his eyes and coughed. White sand filled his vision. He vaguely noted that he was on his belly and wet. The smell of brine filled his nose along with sand. He sneezed in surprise and pulled himself up onto his hands and knees. His chain around his neck that held his wizard-trunk fell out his shirt to dangle in the air. He realized that he no long had his Pole but he still could feel his wands in his boots and right wrist holster. He reached behind him to check the dagger holster at the small of his back. Yup, he still had that dagger and the dagger strapped to his left forearm. Pushing his body into a kneeling position, Harry looked around the beach that he had apparently landed on.

How curious. Was he on the Phon Coast? And if he was, how did he get from Dalmasca to the shores of southern Archadia?

"I'm getting too old for this shit," Harry muttered to himself. He was almost thirty-four-years-old but when stuff like this happened he felt like he was two-hundred instead. The problem was he had a feeling that he wasn't actually on Ivalice anymore. That meant that there was no way to get back to Fran and Balthier. The wizard pushed back the sob that threatened to rise from his throat. His heart had been left behind with his partners.

Harry let out a curse as a white and blue ball flew at his head. He bent backwards while still kneeling to dodge. The wizard jerked back up and glared at the offender.

"Oh! Man, I'm so sorry, yeah!" a man called out since he had been the one who hadn't been able to catch the strange ball. Harry's eyebrows furrowed at the sight of the stranger's odd yellow overalls. It looked like a team uniform since his companions were wearing the same thing. The entire group of men jogged over. Their apparent leader was at the head of the group; his orange-colored hair swept up in a strange cowlick in the front.

"Yo, you alright?" the leader asked.

"I think I'm lost," Harry answered, unable to really place the man's obvious islander accent. He looked like a super tanned Ron but much, much broader. Huh, he looked more like Charlie…

The orange-haired man blinked his brown eyes. "Oh… well. You're on the island of Besaid and I'm Wakka! What's your name, stranger?" he asked.

Besaid? Yeah, the wizard was definitely not in Ivalice anymore. The brunet prevented a frown from surfacing on his visage.

"You can call me Hadrian."

_**00000**_

**END**

BWAHAHAHAHA! *gasp*

Did you really think I was going to let Harry go back to Earth or stay in Ivalice just like that? Pft, hell no. Poor guy, I'm just dragging him everywhere! Lol, laterz my lovely people! XD


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